Framework · April Dunford
Positioning — name the alternative, then say why you win
Positioning is not a tagline contest. It is a choice: which market you are in, who you are for, and why a specific buyer should pick you over the thing they already have.
7 min · educational exit planning
Write the 'instead of' line first. 'Instead of hiring a bookkeeper for invoice follow-up…' is positioning. 'Empowering modern teams' is incense.
The working draft
Competitive alternatives (what they would use if you vanished). Unique attributes (what you do that those do not). Value those attributes enable. Who cares most. Market category those people already shop in.
- Best-fit customer: one role, one context, one trigger.
- Category: borrow one the buyer already understands. Do not invent 'the Uber of…'.
- Proof: one fact you can show this month, not a vision deck.
How this connects to YEP
Brand & Presence (phase 6) is a simple public page that states who it is for and what they get. That page is positioning made visible. The sales-page template is the longer version once you have something to sell.
Test it out loud
Say the instead-of sentence to someone from interviews. If they tilt their head, you used insider language. Fix the words. Do not add a metaphor.
This week
1. Instead-of line
One sentence. Instead of [alternative], [buyer] uses us to [outcome] because [attribute].
2. Homepage test
Rewrite the first two lines of your public page (or a Google Doc stand-in) using only that sentence plus a price.
Related in the archive
- Market Matrix
Map who already serves this buyer and where the gap is. If you cannot name the gap, you do not have a market.
- High-Converting Sales Page Template
Problem → offer → proof → price → ask. Use this when you finally have something to sell.
- A.C.P. — Audience / Community / Product
YEP scores ideas on audience, community, and product fit — not vibes. Weak A.C.P. is why most 'cool products' stall.
- Action over theory (About)
Day 1 is not 'meditate on your customer avatar.' It is find 10 real humans who might pay, and message them.
Next: score the idea or return to all guides.
Educational exit-planning material. Not legal, financial, tax, or investment advice. Talk to real buyers. When the stakes are formation, contracts, or money you cannot lose, talk to a licensed professional — not a webpage.